8/26/19 First for women 13
style
Calm rashy skin
An afternoon spent sweating while gardening or simply loung-
ing by the pool can leave behind a pesky heat rash: red, itchy
bumps that appear along the chest, arms and belly. “Excessive
perspiration mixed with sunscreen or dirt on skin clogs up
sweat ducts, trapping sweat so it’s unable to reach the skin’s
surface, resulting in the irritating rash,” explains LaFragola.
To treat it, she recommends a compress made with witch hazel
and ice water. Witch hazel’s tannins have an astringent effect
that dries out the moisture and cleans off the impurities that
create clogs while shrinking swollen capillaries to reduce red-
ness. “Plus, its anti-inf lammatory properties soothe irritation
and itchiness,” says LaFragola. The ice-cold water’s chill further
eases swelling for smooth, f lawless skin in no time.
TO DO: Fill a medium-size bowl with 1 cup of cold water, 1 cup
of witch hazel (like Thayers Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch
Hazel Toner, Amazon.com) and three to four ice cubes. Saturate
a washcloth with the cold liquid and wring out excess, then
place onto rashy areas for 5 minutes at a time. Use once a day
until redness subsides and bumps disappear.
If your hair arghs multiply as the
temperatures rise, your scalp
may be to blame. Here, natural
remedies that get to the root of the
problem for gorgeous hair—stat!A moist scalp (from sweat or
oil) allows follicle-clogging
fungus to thrive, making
strands vulnerable to fall-
out. Tea tree oil can help. Its
astringent properties limit excess mois-
ture while its antiseptic and antifungal
properties help nix and prevent fungus.
To do: Mix 4 drops of tea tree oil with a
dollop of shampoo. Lather onto damp hair
and scalp and let sit 1 minute before rins-
ing. Do twice a week for lasting results.Heat and chlorine strip
moisture from the scalp,
which can lead to weak locks
that break easily. The fix?
Avocado! The fruit’s omega-
fatty acids penetrate the layers of scalp
skin to replenish moisture while its vita-
min E helps repair skin’s barrier to lock in
that moisture. Bonus: Those same nutri-
ents infuse locks with instant luster.
To do:Rub half a mashed avocado onto
dry hair and scalp, let sit 30 minutes; rinse.Chances are, if you’re sun-
burned, your scalp is too. The
inflammation injures follicles,
which can stunt growth.
Green tea to the rescue!
Its antioxidant, epigallocatechin gallate,
repairs and regenerates burned skin cells
to speed healing and minimize damage.
To do: Steep 2 bags of green tea in 2 cups
of boiling water. Let cool in fridge, then
pour over damp scalp and hair; leave in
and let air-dry.Shedding?
Surprise secret to
stunning strands
Breakage?
Stalled growth?
Julianna
Margulies